Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War

by David Detzer

Book Overview

Foreward by Gene Smith, author of Lee and Grant

An original and deeply human portrait of soldiers and civilians caught in the vortex of war.

So vividly does Allegiance re-create the events leading to the firing of the first shot of the Civil War on April 12, 1861, that we can feel the fabric of the Union tearing apart. It is a tense and surprising story, filled with indecisive bureaucrats, uninformed leaders, hotheaded politicians, and dedicated and honorable soldiers on both sides.

The six-month-long agony that began with Lincoln's election in November sputtered from one crisis to the next until Lincoln's inauguration, and finally exploded as the soldiers at Sumter neared starvation. At the center of this dramatic narrative is the heroic figure of Major Robert Anderson, a soldier whose experience had taught him above all that war is the poorest form of policy. With little help from Washington, D.C., Anderson almost single-handedly forestalled the beginning of the war until he finally had no choice but to fight.

David Detzer's decade-long research illuminates the passions that led to the fighting, the sober reflections of the man who restrained its outbreak, and individuals on both sides who changed American history. No other historian has given us a clearer or more intimate picture of the human drama of Fort Sumter.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0151006415
• ISBN13: 9780151006410
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Fair & Balanced

This could have been a very dry report but it was fascinating. I never thought I'd find a description of the process of firing artillery so interesting! He really brings the politics and the human issues into focus.

We need men like Major Robert Anderson NOW

Not usually the history buff, this book showed me an entirely new perspective on the actual events of not only Fort Sumter but the Civil War itself. David Detzer creates wonderful images and develops personalities so very well in print. For that reason, this book clearly defines the hardship and heartbreak of Charleston, Fort Sumter, and so many of the soldiers and their families. Obviously painstakingly researched, the author has shown us the facts without extolling or denouncing the beliefs of the times. Truly a great read.

Detailed and understandable

The start of a war is always interesting; we cannot read to many books on Bunker Hill or Ft. Sumter. Mr. Detzer treats us to a very readable beginning of the American Civil War and the city that started it. 1861 Charleston is well drawn, very understandable and engaging as a city on the brink of war. Major Robert Anderson determined to do his duty with little guidance from above and constant criticism from below, takes center stage. Washington, distant and unsure is as much of a problem for him as the Rebel guns in the harbor. Presenting the position of the Confederate Government and the "fire eaters" in Charleston as they see events helps the reader understand the decisions made. While not agreeing or disagreeing, the author informs and guides the reader through this complex time.

Outstanding

Dezter writes so well that you kind of lose yourself and you almost imagine that you don't know how this story is going to end. This is a through examination of Major Robert Anderson, a very underrated Civil War key figure for his bravery, tenacity, and even stupidity during the Sumter/Charleston Harbor crisis. of 1860 and 1861. His writing is simple, like a teacher would speak to a class, not like some stuffy old Ph.D. trying to impress his first year students in some intro level American History class. It flows and follows nicely chronologically, hitting no snags, qualit or substance wise throughout. Excellent, it receives my higest recommendation.

A great story about a great city and a great man

First off I must admit that I love Charleston. I love the city and the people. Therefore, I know that this probably influenced my review.Being a military history buff, I DO NOT like the type of history that reads like a road map (XlXII corps moved here, VXII platoon took hill 4345, blah,blah,blah). I want to know the story of what happened. This book tells a wonderful story about a man who, for a short time, represented the whole conflict for both sides. His name was Major Robert Anderson and for a few months in 1861 he had in his hands the ability to start or stall the war based on what he did at Fort Sumter. This book captures the people and the times of this old Southern city better than any book I have ever read. Along the way you will meet many of the people destined for greatness later in the war.I have visited Fort Sumter on several occasions but I never really understood the tense standoff that happened there until reading this book. In short, this is a great story and a great book.